Alleged shooters, Gunter, Stevenson set for trial this fall

The 2014-2015 school year was marred with issues of safety and violence after two shootings took place near the Edinboro campus. Those students allegedly involved are now facing charges.

Trey Gunter, 21 years old, a junior at Edinboro University at that time, is accused of murdering 22-year-old Tobiah Johnson outside of an apartment building near Edinboro University’s campus on Nov. 17, 2014.

Gunter is being held on charges that include criminal conspiracy to commit homicide, criminal homicide, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and possession of an instrument of crime with intent as well as murder of the second degree and an additional charge of aggravated assault, as stated on his Pennsylvania docket sheet.

According to the docket sheet, the trial has been moved from June 2015 to October 2015. It was stated by Associate DA Roger Bauer back in April that the prosecution requested postponement to the June 22 date to wait for the results of DNA testing on multiple blood and other samples submitted from the scene of the shooting. Bauer added that Edinboro police were also still investigating whether additional people were involved at the time, according to The Erie Times News.

Gunter is accused of fatally shooting Johnson outside an apartment complex on Water Street in a dispute over a stolen gun. Former Edinboro student Johnson, who had left school in 2011, died of a gunshot wound to the trunk. Gunter remains in custody at the Erie County prison without bond.

Later that school year, shots rang out again. This time two students were injured in what police are calling a drug-related shooting. Edinboro police accused 20-year-old Devin Stevenson, a student at that time, of shooting two others, Andrew Baker, 19, and O’Shae Imes, 22, during an alleged marijuana deal at Baker’s apartment on March 20, 2015. Stevenson is being charged with two counts of attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. This is along with four other additional charges that include carrying a firearm without a license, possession of drugs with the intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to police, Stevenson arrived at the police station that night covered in blood claiming that he shot two men who tried to rob him. Police allege that the shooting occurred during a $2,000 marijuana deal in Baker’s apartment.

The trial is expected to take place in November 2015. Stevenson remains free on $15,000 bail he posted of the $150,000 bail that was set. According to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Stevenson must remain in his residence with an electronic monitoring device.

Karlee Dies is the news editor of The Spectator. She can be reached at eupnews.spectator@gmail.com.

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